What Those Wedding Vows Really Mean

Dear 1991 Bride,

My, how lovely you look today!  You found the wedding dress in a short amount of time, pulled everything together with the help of your family and so many precious church ladies, and now your wedding day is here.

Your groom is quite handsome!  The music you've chosen is beautiful and this special day is going well.

Now, let's have a little talk.

Those words you're about to say so smoothly in your wedding vows...those aren't just words.  There's a lifetime of meaning behind them.

Take, as an example, "for better or worse."  Yes, in spite of what you think now, there will be "worse."  Most days will be of the "better" variety, but there will be the "worse" days.  Days when selfishness wins, and silly arguments prevail, and patience goes out the window, and words you'll later wish you could take back will come out of your mouth.

"For richer for poorer"...yeah, that, too.  Budgeting and sacrifices and not buying that new dress and throwing a meal in the slow cooker instead of eating out is part of maturing and acting like an adult with your money.  Enjoy the richer days, too, when they come.  But realize that "richer" encompasses so much more than money, and take to time to enjoy the shared laughter and his arm around you in church and holding hands in the car and sitting together quietly at the end of the day.

"In sickness and in health"  will mean a middle of the night ER visit for your kidney stones, his stay in the hospital with a lung disease, a miscarriage, and his back surgery.

"To love and to cherish" won't be just the romantic nights and the unexpected gifts and the fun vacations.  While those will be nice, loving and cherishing will more often involve serving each other when you don't feel like it - you washing his laundry and his washing your car, you cooking supper and him mowing the lawn.

But you won't ever be sorry that you've kept those vows.  When it's July 27, 2014, and you celebrate 23 years of marriage, you'll be so glad that God gave you him for a husband and that the commitment you make today is still being honored.

Love,

Your 2014 Self, A Married Woman of 23 Years

Happy 23rd anniversary (as of Sunday), sweetheart!!